Invasion!
by Slayne22
Summary: She held his gaze, trying to read his eyes. The darkness made it difficult. The fact that it was Jack in full combat mode made it impossible. Twisty, turny action and some Sam and Jack UST. Plus Janet and Jonas!


INVASION!

By Jennghis Kahn

Disclaimer- Don't own nor profit from Stargate or writing fic about it.  
Category- Suspense/action/humor/and romance, but really not as much as there should be. sigh  
Rating- PG-13 at worst.  
Pairing- Sam/Jack  
Spoilers- Ehh, kind of with Forsaken. Kind of with Foothold.  
Archive- Just ask.  
Feedback- Sure. I'm confident.  
Summary- More twists and turns than a really twisty, turny thing.

A/N- This is for the sjficathon and for A.J., who requested: Janet, Jonas and the storage closet on level 19. It took me a looong time to think up some sort of workable plot for this, but I think it´s okay. I hope you like it, A.J.

Thanks MUCH to Malnpudl (a thousand smooches because you gave me some really great, solid suggestions) and to Desert Fox for both doing beta duties.

* * *

Sam waited for the elevator with her zat at the ready. She stood slightly off to the side, just enough so she could see into the car when the doors opened but not be in the direct line of fire. The SGC emergency lights above her flickered ominously in the darkness through their metal guards. 

"Sam! Where are you?" Her radio squawked, and she fumbled in her haste to turn the volume down. The alarm had come while she was on level 14 in one of the few labs with an isolated computer network where she could run simulations to her heart´s content. She´d had no time to do anything other than head out, unarmed. The poor airman she´d taken down soon after had provided her with a zat and the radio. She´d considered taking his TAC vest since she was poorly prepared for any type of firefight in her standard issue olive drab trousers and her favored long-sleeved black T-shirt. The guy was huge, though. She´d have swum inside his vest and it would have only hampered her motion. Stealth was the name of the game here. She wondered belatedly if the soldier had been friend or foe, but when he´d raised his weapon to her she´d had to act quickly. A foothold situation was no time to pussyfoot around.

She thumbed the talk button. "I'm on my way down now, Janet. What's your sit rep? You okay?"

"Affirmative." Janet switched to radio lingo. "I'm just sitting tight waiting for you. What's your ETA?"

Sam glanced around. "I'm waiting for the elevator now, but I may run into trouble. Give me fifteen, but if I don't show... "

There was a short silence before she heard the click of Janet's reply. "Right. Look, I'm keeping the infirmary dark. No one seems to be interested in coming through."

Sam thumbed the button again. "Good. Just hang on. Are you armed?'

"Negative. I´m just staying out of sight.'

"Got it. I´ll keep checking in. Out.'

Janet didn´t reply, and Sam didn´t expect her to. She quickly switched channels on the radio to the preset sequence she and Janet had agreed upon when they´d first made contact. It wouldn´t stop anyone from listening in, but maybe it´d keep them confused long enough for her and Dr. Fraiser to meet up and hatch a plan. She gripped the radio in one hand, the zat in the other and glanced quickly around. It was eerie how empty the base was. Except for the lone soldier, she´d seen no one since venturing out from the computer lab. How long had the situation been going on before the alarm sounded? If the vast majority of the troops had already been neutralized…

She tried not to think about Jack and wonder where he was during all this. The best way to help her friends was to keep from being caught herself.

Sam stared at the elevator doors, hyper-alert when she heard the car stop behind them. She waited that brief moment as the car connected with the floor and the proper electronic signals were sent. She was sweating.

The doors slid open silently.

The interior of the car was dim. The emergency light inside was barely enough to light one corner. Sam edged forward into the flickering light of the hallway in front of it, her heart pounding against her ribs.

The blind corners of the car were revealed slowly. She reached out to press the 'hold´ button as she crept closer, keeping the doors open.

It was empty. She took one glance behind her to check the corridor. Nothing. The pounding in her chest eased, and she stepped into the elevator.

_Jesus, I feel like I´m in a horror movie._

She hit the button for level 21. There was an endless moment where the doors stayed wide open, their timer running down, and she waited tensely for someone to suddenly leap out of the shadows and inside with her. But no one did. The doors slid shut, and the elevator started down.

She wasn´t sure how wise it had been to take the elevator at all, but at least she could be sure of being alone in the car. It was somewhat defensible, being a small, enclosed space with only one entrance and exit. She glanced up toward the ceiling at the small trapdoor there. _Okay, umm… two points of entrance._

She´d heard gunfire and a shout as she´d passed the steel doors to the stairwell on level 14. The elevator was faster, and it gave her a moment to think without being on guard.

There was a scraping sound from above.

She froze, not sure she´d heard anything at all. It came again.

There was someone up above on top of the elevator car. She could hear their boots scraping against the metal through the ceiling. It froze the blood in her veins because the elevator was still moving.

She jerked her body to the side of the car and brought her zat up.

She watched the latched door in the ceiling. She couldn't tell if it was vibrating or not through the natural motion of the car. Who the hell was up there? She pressed herself into a corner and aimed the zat. The latch on the trapdoor moved. Sam held her breath.

The latch suddenly and forcefully slid back, and the door began to swing up. Sam fired.

The blue energy raced up through the opening and she heard a grunt. She held her finger from firing again. There was a thump on the ceiling and the door slammed shut again. The elevator also groaned and came to a sudden and shuddering stop.

Sam staggered and reached out a hand for the side of the car. She still held the radio, so she had to use the side of her wrist to balance herself. The emergency light flickered violently.

She waited a long beat in the motionless car, zat aimed upwards again, lights flickering and making a sharp snapping sound with each flash. There were more sounds from above. The main doors suddenly slid open.

She whirled around to face the exposed hallway, automatically going down to one knee to make herself a smaller target. There was a big number 19 painted on the wall across from the elevator. The car was just slightly out of alignment and had stopped above the floor. She eased forward and peered out. There didn´t seem to be anyone standing there. There was a slow rustling from the ceiling of the elevator again. She had to make a choice.

She stepped forward and ducked through the doors, jumping out and lightly down to the floor of the level. She didn´t trust the elevator after her zat blast and the unexpected visitor. She moved quickly against the wall and started toward her lab. If she could make it there, she could at least outfit herself properly and then get down to Janet.

The corridor where her lab was located was long and still and filled with crimson shadows. None of the back-up lights were working, and the darkness seemed to move along with the throbbing red warning lights. There were still some alarms sounding in the distance, their muted alert coinciding perfectly with the flashing lights. She studied the corridor, trying to listen intently over the distant alarms. It seemed empty, but with every flash of hellish light, she could get a clear, red-tinted view of only one part of the corridor. A moment later, she was plunged back into darkness again.

She started down the hallway with trepidation, her zat raised, finger on the trigger. She timed her steps so she could stand still and watch the corridor when the alert lights flashed.

Darkness, step. Stop, flash, watch. Darkness, step. Stop, flash, watch.

Every so often, she used one of the flashes to glance at the corridor behind her. Nothing.

She could see the door to her lab now. She could see the dim glow of LED lights spilling into the darkness of the corridor. Her computers and equipment ran on different back-up generators than the rest of the base. She´d insisted, and Hammond had agreed. As she drew very close, she heard the low, eerie hum of the computer fans and the repeated, soft clicks of various machines trying to come back to life.

She swallowed nervously as she put her back to the wall beside the doorway and tried to lean out far enough to peer inside. Her lab was all blinking lights and humming. There were shadows everywhere, along with endless corners in which to hide. The clutter of equipment had been a comfort before; now it was a minefield.

She glanced once more up and down the corridor and then slid around one side of the doorway and into the lab. The hum was louder, and there was a noticeable warmth in the air. That electronic scent was comforting in a way. She moved carefully around her worktable. She wasn´t allowed to keep weapons in her lab, but she had some flashlights in the bottom tray of her projects archive.

"Carter.'

Sam jumped and jerked around, zat coming up instantly. She had time to see the still and shadowed form of Colonel O´Neill seated on her industrial battery charger before the blue light was racing toward her and then paralyzing her painfully. She gave a quiet and forced groan, and then her legs collapsed.

* * *

She didn´t go completely out of it. She lay on the floor, feeling her legs quiver and trying to force her eyes open, while the Colonel took the zat from her hand and knelt down beside her. 

"Carter?'

She couldn´t move just yet so she simply struggled with her eyelids a little bit more. She felt him press two warm fingers against the pulse in her neck and was amazingly aware of the rhythmic beat of her heart. His fingers slid off her neck and up onto her jaw. He tilted her head to the side slightly. She took a long, deep, relieved breath as the paralysis ebbed.

His fingers lingered. Did his thumb just brush over her cheek?

She opened her eyes and stared up at him. His face was lit by blinking lights, his zat held ready. He pulled his hand back.

"Oh my god,' she exclaimed, voice sounding scratchy. "You just zatted me.'

He backed away from her and stood, aiming directly at her. "Get up.'

She blinked and then realized that full motor control was back. She slowly sat up, eyeing the zat in his hand warily. "Sir?'

"Up.' He used the zat to illustrate his command, jerking it upwards. She got stiffly to her feet.

They stared at each other.

She suddenly realized he could be compromised and working for the enemy. Any of them could. Her first instinct had been to immediately trust him. They´d been through too much together… but there was simply no way she could be sure. Her eyes darted around, looking for her own zat.

"Looking for this?' Jack held up her weapon and wiggled it back and forth.

Sam licked her lips and swallowed through a dry throat. "Yeah, actually.'

He was studying her intently as he shoved her zat into his belt. "I knew you´d come back here eventually. I´ve been waiting.'

She held his gaze, trying to read his eyes. The darkness made it difficult; the fact that it was Jack in full combat mode made it impossible.

"Sir, are you compromised?' Well, hell, it couldn´t hurt to ask.

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Are you?' he countered.

She hesitated. "Uh… no.'

"Me neither.' he stated, but he didn´t lower the zat.

Her radio clicked suddenly from the floor. Once, then twice, then once, then twice. She ignored it, but Jack glanced at it and then at her.

"Expecting a call?' he asked dryly.

"No.'

He stared at her and then stepped forward until she could see the dark glitter in his eyes. "Right… "

She grimaced slightly. Oh, yeah. This was going well.

He motioned her toward the door, and she alternately eyed both him and the zat before turning slowly and walking toward the doorway. She wanted to tell him everything, but she just couldn´t be sure of where he stood in all of this just yet. He was acting a little odd, even for the Colonel. She heard him pick up the radio from the floor, and glanced back to see him slipping it into the pocket of his shirt.

"Where are we going?' she asked as they hesitated at the doorway before venturing into the darkened corridor.

"Turn left.' He ordered.

She stepped into the hallway and looked in both directions. The red flashes didn´t reveal anyone lying in wait. She turned left and began walking slowly. She heard Jack right behind her. She nearly jumped when he suddenly clamped a hand down on her shoulder as they approached an intersection.

"Easy,' he warned, nearly treading on her heels. He kept the hand on her shoulder as they both leaned out into the intersecting corridor to have a glance around. The emergency lights were working fine here. They were spaced every few yards and provided a steady, if dim glow. Nothing. He motioned to the right, and they turned right.

He gripped her shoulder hard as they approached the door of a storage closet. "Stop.'

She stopped, turning her head to watch as he slid his security card through the narrow groove of the magnetic reader. The door clicked open.

"I´m not under the influence of aliens, sir.' She insisted, realizing suddenly what he was going to do. "I can help you, you know I can. We have to work together.'

He swung the door open just enough to push her inside and then follow her in. "Look, Carter. I either store you out of the way or I shoot you.'

"Shoot me?' She turned to look him in the eye. He held her gaze for a long moment before glancing away, jaw tight.

"Colonel O´Neill!' The exclamation came from their direct left, and they both spun around in surprise.

"Jonas?' Sam stared wide-eyed as Jonas came around one of the shelving units. He came quickly, looking happy and nervous at the same time.

Jack raised his zat. "Whoa, whoa! Stop right there.'

Jonas stopped short and stared at the zat. He lifted his hands. "It´s me, Colonel. Really.'

Jack studied him. Sam waited.

Jonas suddenly smiled. "Soo… foothold situation, huh? Very exciting.' He nodded slightly, lips curved lopsided.

Jack raised his brows. "Jonas?'

"Yeah.'

Jack lowered his zat. Sam turned her stare to him instead.

"Don´t tell me you believe him!'

Jack glanced at her. "Well, look at him.' He motioned toward Jonas. "He´s all excited and smiling.'

"You believe him, but not me?' Sam wished she could have taken that one back. It was a compliment, really, that Jack saw her as dangerous.

Jack thought about that for a while. "Yeah.' He shrugged.

"Sam?' Jonas was frowning at her.

"I´m me.' she insisted.

"I´m not sure yet.' Jack interjected.

"It´s _me_.'

"Of course you´re going to say that if you´re an alien.' Jack looked at her as if she were nuts.

Sam sighed. At least he wasn´t going to shoot her. Yet.

Jonas peered speculatively at her. "I don´t know…' he drawled. "She has that same look on her face that she had when you tried to help her with the UAV and broke the wing off.'

Jack coughed. "Jonas. Focus on the problem here.'

Sam glared at him.

"Okay.' Jonas nodded. "So what´s the plan? I tried the armory on this level, but the door wouldn´t open. I was hoping to find something to use in here when you two came in.'

"You and Carter stay here. I´ll get down to the gate room and see what´s up.'

"Sir-' Sam started protesting immediately, and he cut her off with a raised finger.

"Carter, I can´t keep an eye on you and an eye out for the bad guys at the same time.'

"Colonel, she´s right. You´ll need back-up.'

Jack looked undecided. Jonas eased forward. "You have to at least give me a zat. What if Sam´s an alien?'

Jack pressed his lips together but nodded. He pulled Sam´s zat from his belt and handed it to Jonas. "Okay. Don´t let her fast talk you.' He pulled the radio from his pocket and set it on a nearby shelf. "I´ll find another one when I get out there. Keep it on channel 22, and I´ll be in touch as soon as possible. Got it?'

"Yeah.' Jonas nodded and grinned.

"And stop smiling like that. This is serious.'

"Oh, yeah. Sorry!' He kept grinning.

Sam felt a prickle of apprehension. She turned her head to one side but kept her eyes on him. "Jonas?'

Jack must have heard the skepticism in her voice because he suddenly raised his own zat, eyes widening.

He was too late. Jonas fired, and Jack was enveloped by blue light. He fell into Sam, and she found herself dragged down with him, struggling to keep him from crashing to the floor. Jonas slipped by them. He flashed her another grin as he slid out the door and closed it firmly behind him. She started to struggle up and disengage herself from the Colonel when she heard the latch click and the security pad on the outside beep in a familiar way. They were locked in.

* * *

Sam waited warily while Jack came around. He groaned and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. She laid a hand on one of his raised knees. 

"Carter?' He lifted one hand and eyed her from underneath it.

"Yes sir.'

"Remind me, the next time he smiles like that, to shoot him in the nuts.'

Sam smiled in spite of her concern over recent developments. "Yes sir.'

He tried to sit up and groaned again. She helped him. He looked at her.

"Well, I guess if you were an alien, you´d have gone with him.'

"Told you.'

He shot her a warning glance, then saw his zat lying beside him. "He left a zat?'

"He also locked us in. It won´t be of much use.'

Jack stared at her. "So? Get us unlocked.'

Sam furrowed her brows. "How?'

"How? I don´t know. You´re the genius. You can get us out of a closet, can´t you?'

Sam narrowed her eyes. "Sir, every door in this place is run by computers and secured by locks of trinium. I helped design the security system myself. I can´t pick the lock from the inside, and even if we _did_ have some C4, the blast would-"

"Okay! Okay, Carter. I get the picture.' Jack waved his hands in annoyance, silencing her. He glanced around and then suddenly propelled himself to his feet. Sam knelt on the floor and watched him. He grabbed something from one of the shelves and then held the radio up so she could see it. He lifted both brows in hopeful question.

Sam smiled.

"Sam! Are you okay?'

Sam grinned at Jack and thumbed the talk button. "Yes, Janet. I´m fine for now.' She ignored Jack´s questioning look at her lack of radio protocol. "I´ve met up with Colonel O´Neill but Jonas has been compromised. He fooled us and locked us in a storage closet on level 19.'

"Jonas? Got it. What do you want me to do?'

Jack grabbed the radio from Sam´s hands and keyed the mic. "Doc, don´t try and confront him. You need to get to one of the security rooms. Can you do that?'

"I think so.'

Sam nodded at Jack. "I can talk her through the security program to open the door if she gets there.'

He relayed it to Janet, and then, "If you can´t get hold of a zat, just use one of those huge needles you´re always sticking us with after missions. That oughta scare any alien.'

Sam shot him a glare. He put on an innocent look.

"Roger that.' Janet replied. "I´ll be in touch.'

* * *

Two hours later, Sam was checking her watch every 3 minutes, 30 seconds, and from the sparse radio contact, Janet was stuck in one of the isolation rooms waiting for a group of armed airmen to leave the corridor directly outside. While they´d spent the first hour listening to every sound outside the door and trying to brainstorm any idea to get out of the closet, the second hour had given way to a more resigned attitude. They weren´t getting out, but no one was getting in without making themselves known either. Now they languished in a state of weariness, the adrenalin rush gone but worry still keeping them fairly alert. 

Sam sighed and looked over at the Colonel. He was lying prone on the floor a few feet away, arms and legs spread, staring at the ceiling. He looked bored… if that were possible considering their circumstance.

"I´m bored,' he suddenly stated.

Oh-kay. Apparently it was possible.

"We won´t be in here forever.' Sam pointed out.

Jack sighed heavily.

Sam contemplated him, biting her lip apprehensively. "Why didn´t you believe me before?'

Jack twisted his head so he could make eye contact with her. "My first instinct is to always believe you, Carter. That´s why I have to be more careful with you.'

Sam let that statement soak through her. The double meaning of his words struck deeply. She held his eyes, watching as his gaze changed and suddenly they were in the same place, protocol falling away, emotion too close to the surface. They´d left that fateful force field behind them years ago, and yet sometimes she could still feel it between them like a barrier. _Look but don´t touch. Grit your teeth against the frustration. Convey what you can with your eyes because the words themselves might destroy you. Careful, so careful._

He sat up and turned to face her, resting elbows on knees, feet flat on the floor.

"It´s not like we haven´t had trouble in this area before,' he said. He glanced away. "You´re too trusting.'

"Trusting? Trusting of who?' She blinked at him.

He exhaled deeply. "Of everyone,' he muttered.

Her expression turned suspicious. "Of… Corso?'

His head jerked up, eyes hard. He held her gaze silently for a moment, then two, then longer. Sam felt the layers of her shell peeling away under that piercing gaze. He had a talent. That mission had been barely a month ago; the wounds were still fresh. They were staring at each other for far too long, eyes searching each other for the slightest clue, and she suddenly realized they´d somehow just opened The Room again. Right here in the storage closet during one of the most inappropriate times ever.

"We were all fooled by Corso,' Jack tried to brush it away.

"Yes sir.' Sam kept her voice low. "But… " she trailed away, thinking that this really wasn´t what she wanted to discuss.

"You´ve got a knack for being attracted to the wrong sort of guy, Carter.'

She looked up at him. He didn´t look away.

"I think that´s fairly obvious, sir,' she answered. The silence stretched on until he finally looked away and climbed to his feet, pacing slowly back and forth in front of her.

"Are you okay?' he suddenly asked.

She pushed herself up to her feet and leaned against the wall. "I´m fine.'

He hesitated in his pacing, turning his head slightly toward her but not looking at her. "I never asked after that mission. It was you that Corso tried to work. You were the one he used as bait.'

"I´m fine.' She repeated, softer this time. She walked up and put her ear against the door, listening. He waited, watching. She heard nothing and sighed. How much longer could it be now? She was mildly startled when Jack suddenly leaned next to her.

"Anything?' He asked.

She shook her head. Their fingers brushed together. She stared at him.

"It´s been a hard year.' He stated quietly. Their first fingers caught and held. Sam felt like she couldn´t breathe. She nodded.

"The hardest yet,' she whispered.

He lifted a hand to her shoulder, fingers plucking at a wisp of her hair. They were so close she could see the 5 o´clock shadow on his jaw, and his scent surrounded her.

There was a sudden and heavy vibration through the floor and the walls.

They both jerked upright. Jack´s fingers let go of her hair and gripped her shoulder. The latch on the door slammed open and the emergency lights suddenly cut out, enveloping them in pitch black.

"Holy Hannah,' Sam muttered. She felt Jack grip her shoulder more firmly. "The emergency power grid must have been cut. Try the door,' she urged him.

He kept the hand on her shoulder, and she didn´t protest. It felt warm and reassuring and the darkness was so overpowering this far underground that her eyes were completely useless. It was disorienting until she closed them. It was the same darkness behind her lids, but her mind somehow realized a difference and she was able to concentrate on her other senses more fully.

She heard Jack´s hand brushing against the steel door, and then the click of the lock and the door swinging on its hinges. "Bingo,' Jack exclaimed. He pulled her out of the door´s path and toward him. She felt his shirt against her hand. She opened her eyes again to the same pitch black. She realized she should have seen some sort of light in the hallways from the back-up generators.

"Oh my god, the whole base must be out.'

"You know this place like the back of your hand, right?' Jack asked, his voice right next to her ear.

She swallowed. "I don´t know if I know it _that_ well. I think I can get us back to my lab though. I have some flashlights there.'

"Okay.' Jack´s hand slid down her arm and he grabbed her hand, lifting it up and placing it on the open edge of the door. "Hold it open,' he ordered. "I need to find the zat and the radio.'

She held it while he fumbled around in the darkness, swearing in whispers. She heard him kick something and then his voice was closer again. "Carter?'

"Here,' she called softly. She felt his hand touch her sleeve and then walk up her arm to grip her shoulder again. The sound of his breath passed in front of her, and the door was pushed completely open. And then she was being pushed back against it, his hand moving to her nape, his body coming in close until they were pressed together. He brushed his lips against hers, and when she didn´t protest, he pressed more firmly. She opened her mouth under his and her fingers found his shirt, grabbing up handfuls of the stiff cotton and holding him close.

Her only thought was that _this_ is what he tasted like. Finally. This is what he felt like. Jack.

He was leaning into her heavily and she was trying to match his intensity. Instead, he slowed, gave her one more shallow, wet kiss, and he pulled his lips slowly from hers. She heard him breathing heavily only inches away.

"Sir?' It was all she could manage to verbalize.

"The world´s probably going to end soon anyway,' he said quietly.

"It feels like it,' she agreed.

His thumb brushed her jaw and then slid to her shoulder again. They shuffled into the black corridor.

* * *

They picked up two flashlights and some glow sticks in her lab then started for the stairwell. 

"Any enemy base of operations is going to have to include the gate room,' Jack said as they walked. "They´ll have to secure the stargate.'

Sam agreed. They slid into the dark stairwell and groped about for the railing.

"Careful,' Jack warned. He pointed his flashlight beam both up and down the flights of stairs, and they listened silently for a beat. There didn´t seem to be anyone else inside with them.

Sam pointed her beam down at the steps and began to carefully step down behind the Colonel. They moved carefully, but their boots still gave off a dull, hollow tapping against the cement. At each level landing, they checked the number painted on the door and then stood quietly, listening intently. When they reached level 27, Jack touched her on the arm and pulled her close.

"Let´s check the control room first,' he whispered into her ear.

She nodded then realized he couldn´t see her. "Yes sir,' she whispered back. She knew he´d prefer to use hand signals at this point, but…

He opened the stairwell door slowly and silently. They slipped through, flashlights off, and he closed it the same way. They stood motionless inside the door, waiting and listening to each other breathe. When nothing happened, Jack switched on his flashlight and they crept into the corridors.

The control room was dark and empty. There was light coming up from the stairwell that led into the briefing room, as well as through the viewing window in the control room that looked out over the gate room. Jack turned his flashlight off and they used the meager light to make their way over to the viewing window. When they looked down, they could see several armed SGC airmen guarding the stargate.

"Where´s Jonas?' Jack scanned the room below.

"Not there,' Sam replied after a moment of studying the room as well.

"C´mon.' He held the zat at waist level, and they headed for the short flight of stairs that led up to the briefing room and Hammond´s office. Jack made his way slowly up, Sam following. When he got up far enough to see into the room, he sat down on his heels and raised his head, peering into the room. Sam leaned forward, close against him and looked as well.

Jonas stood at the viewing window of the briefing room, his back to them, arms folded across his chest. He was motionless and seemed to be in deep thought. Jack eased down up more step, zat held at the ready, and glanced around. He motioned at Sam, and they moved quietly into the room.

"Good morning, campers!' Jonas suddenly said cheerily. He turned around to face them. Jack raised the zat and aimed it at him.

Jonas smiled. "I saw you in the glass,' he said proudly, motioning at the viewing window. "I knew it would only be a matter of time until you arrived.'

"Who are you?' Jack demanded immediately.

Jonas shook his head. "Now where´s the fun in telling you that?'

"You´re unarmed,' Sam stated. "We could take you out right now.' But she felt uneasy. This was a little too easy, and he was a little too confident.

"Now, Sam,' Jonas chided gently. "You know that´s not how the plan goes. Besides, take me out and then the Colonel would just have to deal with you.'

"Huh?' Sam was confused. Jack looked at her in alarm.

"We´ve got you surrounded, O´Neill.' Jonas grinned at him. "Sam and I. It was much easier to fool you than I had originally anticipated.'

Jack´s gaze jerked toward Sam. She gave him a wide-eyed, pleading stare. "I´m me, sir! He´s just trying to confuse you!'

Jack took a step away from her, and the zat wavered between them. "Someone start giving me some answers right now,' he growled.

"I´m not an alien,' Sam insisted.

"Yes, she is.' Jonas replied. "How do you think I cut the secondary power grid? I couldn´t do that by myself. Sam planned it out and then we sent her to find you. We kept you in the closet just long enough to allay any suspicions you had and then we let you go and she led you right here!' He suddenly gave a deep, powerful, arrogant laugh.

Jack stared at her.

"It´s not true, sir!'

He looked nervous. "Maybe I´ll just zat both of you and sort it out later.'

"Actually,' Jonas looked thoughtful for a moment and then grinned again. "She´s really served her purpose for me. Why don´t you shoot her and then I´ll consider letting you go.'

Jack glowered at him

"Well, it´s either that or I take both of you down,' Jonas stated. "Shoot her and you´ll have a chance to save the others.'

Jack glanced at her again.

"Colonel, I´ve already been zatted once. I don´t know if enough time has passed. This one might kill me.' Sam stared at him worriedly.

"That doesn´t really matter now if you´re in league with the bad guys,' Jack said. He pointed the zat at her.

"I´m not, sir.' Sam raised her hands and took a step back.

"I can´t be sure.'

"You can. You know me.' She saw his finger tightening on the trigger.

Jack grimaced.

"Jack… " She said it softly.

They stared at each other.

The high-pitched whine of a zat filled the room and Sam went down with an inarticulate cry in a haze of blue. Jack jerked his body around and faced Jonas, who was still smiling and holding his own zat, still aimed at Sam.

"Sorry,' Jonas shrugged. "I got tired of waiting.'

Jack´s face broke into a fierce glare and he hit Jonas with a zat blast square in the middle of the chest. Jonas gave a strangled cry and pitched sideways, tripping over an artificial potted plant and crashing to the floor.

"Got you.' Jack muttered, turning to go toward Sam. He felt a sudden, sharp pain in his hip.

"I´m sorry, Colonel, but you lose.'

He spun around in surprise to find Janet standing behind him, syringe in hand and a most wicked grin upon her face.

Shit.

* * *

"How did I do, really? Did you like that laugh I did? I got that from all those DVD´s Teal´c and I watched. All the good villains laughed like that.' 

Jack gave a wry grimace. "You were very scary, Jonas. Right up until the moment I zatted you and you took a header into the plant.'

Sam snorted, and Jonas smiled. "Ruined the effect, huh?'

"Yes, although I hardly noticed since that was the moment Janet chose to stab me in the ass with a huge needle.'

Sam finally lost it. She set her beer down and buried her head in her arms, laughing hard. Janet patted her soothingly on the head and sipped her beer cordially. "It was your idea for me to use needles, Colonel.'

Jack glared at her. "Was that really necessary? This was a training exercise, Doc. You weren´t actually supposed to draw blood, for cryin´ out loud!'

Janet looked innocent. "No? Oh, dear.'

Jack shot her a sardonic look. "If there´d been something more than saline in that thing… "

"Well, that was the point, Colonel. If it had been a real foothold situation and I was truly compromised, you´d have been out of the game, so to speak, the moment I jabbed you'

Jack look disgruntled. Sam wiped at her eyes and grinned at him.

"I know it´s tough to lose, sir, but Janet won this one fair and square. I never even suspected she was the villain this time.'

Jack gave a grunt of acquiescence and took a long draw off his bottle.

Janet looked thoughtful. "I have to admit, it was a far better role than I usually get for these things. Maybe they´ll let me do it again when they train the cadets.'

Jonas coughed discreetly, and Janet flashed him a radiant smile. "Of course, I´ll need my trusty servant, Jonas, too.'

He grinned at her. "Maybe next time I can use one of those lines like, 'You insolent fool!´ or 'You dare defy me?´. What do you think?'

"Easy there, Renfield.' Jack held a hand out toward Jonas. "Hammond promised the bad guy role to me for the cadets.' He glanced over his bottle at Sam, a wicked glint in his eye. "And with Carter as my First Prime, they´ll all be dead meat.'

Sam frowned. "Uh, sir, I think it´s supposed to be the other way around. I´m the mad scientist and you´re my First Prime.'

"Carter, I´m not going to be your First Prime! Who´d believe that?'

"Well, I mean, I´m the smart one, right? So… " She winced at Jack´s glare. "Um, that really didn´t come out right. I just meant that you´re the better soldier and I´m more of uh… " She trailed away and gave up, finding no way to win other than just shutting up. Jack eyed her while she took a huge gulp of her beer. She met Janet´s eyes across the table sheepishly and then wanted to kick her when Janet pressed her lips together, trying to suppress a grin.

Jonas smiled. Again. "Well, all I know is that the points we earned capturing you two were worth more than all the rest of the targets put together.'

Jack looked interested again. "How many did I get for capturing Carter?'

Jonas suddenly reached into a pocket and drew out a folded piece of paper. He straightened it out, smoothing the creases and ran a finger down the list of names printed on it. "Let´s see… Sam was worth 100 points.' He shifted his smile to her. She grinned back and then glanced at Jack from the corner of her eye. He quirked his lips at her sarcastically and did that little head shrug he was so fond of.

"What about me?' He lifted his head, trying to read the paper from across the table.

Jonas ran his finger down the paper. "You were worth… 150 points. Whoa!' He looked at the Colonel, impressed, as Jack nodded slightly. Then he looked back down at the paper and hesitated. "Oh.'

"Oh? Oh what?' Sam strained to read the paper over the table.

"The Colonel was worth 150 points unless he was captured by-' Jonas looked up at Sam. "-by you.'

"What?' She made the exclamation at the same time as Jack, and they stared at each other for a moment before jerking their gazes away.

Jonas shrugged. "Maybe they thought it would be easier for Sam than anyone else. If she would have captured you, she´d have gotten 10 points.'

"Oh for… " Jack muttered and shook his head, taking another pull off his beer.

"This training exercise is becoming less about training and more about winning every year.' Sam sighed.

"Yes, well… " Janet smiled, pleased. "I´ll think about training when Cassie and I are spending that week of leave that I won in the Bahamas.'

Jack glared at her. Jonas smiled.

Sam looked suddenly thoughtful. "I wonder who I zatted on top of the elevator…'

"A very gung-ho young marine,' Janet answered with a long-suffering sigh. "He´ll be fine.'

"And that´s another thing,' Jack complained. "Whoever made those training zats should be pistol whipped. Those things hurt worse than the real ones.'

* * *

Outside the bar, Janet and Jonas climbed into a cab to share a ride home. Sam waved at them. Jack stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked beside her when she turned and started toward her own car. 

"You okay to drive?'

"Yeah.' She gave him a brief smile. "I only had one beer and that was way over an hour ago.'

"Okay.' Jack nodded.

When they reached her car, though, he leaned back against the driver´s side door, blocking her entrance, and just looked at her. She felt those layers peeling back again like they always did when he looked at her like that. When he used that look and his eyes got all deep and glittery, he became so very much more than just The Colonel. She was suddenly very aware of her own hammering heart.

"Soo… " he waited until she held his gaze and then quirked one corner of his mouth up. "Using 'Jack´ when I had the zat aimed at you in the control room.' He gave a curt nod. "Good job, Major. It got to me.'

Sam gave a small smile. "I always get you with that one.'

"Yes, well… " Jack glanced at the ground and then back. "Maybe there was some reason to the point system after all.'

Sam watched him for a moment and then realized this wasn´t why they were standing out here in the dark parking lot. She cleared her throat. "Sir… about what happened in the storage closet…'

"Yes,' Jack murmured, glancing down again. "About that.' Sam took a deep breath and looked about to speak, but then she looked pained and just stared at him, hopelessly. He glanced at her then seemed to steel himself. He looked directly at her and didn´t waver. "Sam, that first room we created was bad enough. I don´t want to start another.'

She was thrown a bit by him calling her Sam. He hadn´t done that in years. But she nodded in understanding. They didn´t need to start a whole wing of rooms by themselves. Rooms of raw emotions and pent-up frustrations that built to bursting and then leaked out at the most inopportune times. "I know,' she said. "Me neither.'

"But uh… " He kicked at the gravel and pavement beneath his boot. "I´d be alright with us having one.'

She looked quizzically at him.

He continued, "Maybe we can just keep everything in the one room from now on.' He looked up at the stars. "After all, the storage closet has pens, and it´s easy to lose pens. And sometimes after a particularly hard mission, I can´t find any of my pens and neither can you, so we have to go get some new pens, and maybe it´s at the same time, and… " He trailed away, and the attempt at pretense seemed to go as well. He gave her a serious, piercing gaze. "Sometimes, I just need to know that you´re okay. Do you understand?'

She nodded, speechless. Did she understand? Was he nuts? Did he not realize half the words that got garbled in her mouth and never came out were the ones asking if he was okay? If he was the same? If _they_ were okay? "I understand,' she stated emphatically, knowing her eyes were wide open for him.

They stared at each other for far too long again.

* * *

It was barely two weeks later that they nearly lost Teal´c and Bra´tac. And even though neither Jack nor Sam had been in dire straits, it wounded all of them in places that couldn´t be seen. Sam came back to her lab to find all her pens gone. She stared at the note that was shoved into the empty box. 

_"No pens? The L19-4 storage closet has plenty.'_

She hesitated for only a moment before heading out. She needed to know that he was okay. And she needed pens.

end-


End file.
